Metal components of seatbelts may become dangerous to handle when an automobile or other vehicle containing the seatbelts has been sealed and subject to high external temperatures. In particular, during exposure to heat associated with warm weather, the tongue component of the seatbelt, which in most cases must be manually handled to affix the seatbelt to its buckle or locking mechanism, may become very hot and cause burns to the skin if touched. A sealed automobile may become as much as 40 degrees Fahrenheit hotter or colder that the external environment. Second degree burns or blisters may result when handled with the bare skin. Children handling seatbelts are particularly at risk with hot or exceedingly cold seatbelt components.
Previous implementations were created using leather but leather was not pliable enough to avoid disruption when the tongue was in the act of being engaged with the buckle. A spring-loaded box covering the tongue was created, but the small pieces of the springs can easily wear out, thus shortening the life span of the components and increasing cost of production. In addition, the small pieces posed a hazard of choking. Latex was also used in previous implementations, but this material is too inflexible to avoid disruption when covering the tongue with the tongue needing to engage with the seatbelt buckle.
In view of the foregoing, it is clear that these traditional techniques are not perfect and leave room for more optimal approaches.
Unless otherwise indicated illustrations in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.